


Count My Fingers

by SquishySterek (Herm_own_ninny)



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alpha Scott McCall, Brief Gerard Argent mention, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stiles is a dumbass, set in a hospital
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-17
Updated: 2018-04-17
Packaged: 2019-04-24 03:02:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14346633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Herm_own_ninny/pseuds/SquishySterek
Summary: Stiles pulled a very stupid move and got himself kidnapped by the Argents.After three days of being tortured, he's finally rescued and Scott is out for blood for once in his life.Derek is unspokenly tasked with getting him to a doctor and healed. He does just that, and then so much more.





	Count My Fingers

**Author's Note:**

> I use the little insert from the show about counting your fingers or reading a book to make sure you're awake because I deal with horrible nightmares that I'm sometimes aware of and can control.  
> Being rescued from something like torture could seem like a dream come true, so I decided to go with that for this piece.
> 
> Based on [this gorgeous art](http://lolbatty.tumblr.com/post/30022366370) by [lolbatty](http://lolbatty.tumblr.com) on Tumblr. Make sure to give it some love!

Derek was seething, filled to the tip of his ears with unbridled rage as he stared at Stiles’ unmoving body.  
He understood why Scott had kept running, had stopped for a second to stare at his friend before roaring and shifting before taking off after the hunters, after Gerard, his eyes glowing a deep red.  
He was still pissed at the kid for not calling the police.  
He also knew Scott expected him to get Stiles to safety.  
But the thing that had him the angriest was the fact that Stiles had put himself in this situation, had snuck out of a pack meeting and gone to meet Gerard. He'd been captured and held prisoner, tortured and beaten senseless, forced to beg for the pack to surrender to the hunters for his safety.

Derek knew Scott wouldn't hold back on Gerard this time, that he'd tear into the man who'd hurt Erica and Boyd, who'd hurt Stiles before and again now.  
It didn't help his anger that he wouldn't get to be the one digging his claws into Gerard’s flesh and tearing him to shreds.  
It _did_ help soothe his anger when Stiles’ eyes fluttered open and he whispered Derek’s name in such a broken, helpless, relieved voice and reached up to touch his face.  
“Count your fingers, Stiles. It's not a dream,” he murmured, leaning his head down to nuzzle against the boy’s cheek before finally stepping into the parking lot of the Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital and walking in the emergency room entrance. He walked to the counter calmly, holding Stiles firmly against his body.  
“He was kidnapped and tortured. I think he's got a few bruised ribs and some internal bleeding. Can I get some help?”  
The lady at the desk took a second to look up, her face seemingly ready to give Derek some snarky remark, but she paused when she saw Stiles in his arms. Admittedly, he was being very calm, but that was so he didn't disturb the boy or cause him any more pain than he was already in.  
“You're not kidding.”  
“No ma'am, I'm not. I also doubt he's eaten in the past three days, let alone taken in any water. Are you going to help me, or do I need to call the nurse I've on speed dial?” Derek was trying to be patient, because Stiles did look horrible, and he was calm for a man holding a kid barely holding on to life.  
The woman pressed the call button on her desk phone, not pulling her eyes from Stiles’ broken and bruised body. “Doctor Oni? We've got a trauma patient that was kidnapped and beaten. I need you out here ASAP with a wheeling cart. Should I prep some X-rays and have nurses prepare IV and a tetanus shot? He's some cuts.”  
“Call Sarah’s team, she works best in this situation. I'll call what I need when I see it so we don't have the wrong things. X-rays are a good idea. Do we need defib?”  
“No, sir. He's stirring right now.”  
“Alright. Get going, Lana.”  
The call ended and the woman took another second to stare at Stiles before grabbing a walkie talkie and calling the Sarah lady as she walked off into a back room.  
A team of people came and took Stiles from Derek, assuring him that he'd be well taken care of, and sending him to the room Stiles would be in once everything was finished.  
He let the nurse babble to him as she wheeled in carts with fluids and a small tray of crackers and grapes, let her set a shock blanket around his shoulders and hand him a small cup with some aspirin in. He took it to make her feel better, thanking her quietly and asking her name so he could let her boss know she had exceptional bedside manner. Her smile was bright as she told him she was Brittany Alvea, and thanked him as she left another bottle of water on the table beside Stiles’ soon to be bed.

Derek hadn't slept in the past three days and he didn't plan on sleeping yet, even in the surprisingly comfortable hospital chair with a blanket around him. Exhaustion really puts a spin on things.

He admittedly jumped a little when the door clicked open and the nurse wheeled in a semi-conscious Stiles in a hospital gown. He smiled weakly at Derek, reaching out for his hand, which Derek took and squeezed. “Count your fingers. You're safe,” He murmured, and Stiles’ eyes went soft as he let his shoulders sag.  
“I know I'm safe because you're here. You won't let anything happen to me.”  
Derek tried not to let his Heart Eyes™ show as he held Stiles’ gaze, finally dropping his hand and helping the nurse get the teen in the bed by simply lifting him up bridal style and setting him on the mattress gently.  
He stepped out with the attending doctor as she started prepping Stiles for his IV and heart monitor.  
“Your boy took some serious damage. He's got a concussion, 5 bruised ribs, two fractured, but thankfully no internal bleeding. Miscellaneous cuts and bruises, a split lip and a black eye. We can give him a tetanus shot if you think he needs it.”  
“Does he need one if he got one about a week ago after stepping on a nail?”  
“He should be good. But his right humerus seemed to have an old fracture that never received proper treatment and healed wrong. His left femur has a fracture as well. He's malnurished. I've given him some low level pain medication that will knock him out the first dosage and then keep everything to a dull roar as per his request. He said he didn't want to be unconscious or barely lucid. Next is his concussion. He said he doesn't remember the past few days, just that he went to see someone and was knocked out. His memories of that event may come back in bursts. Nightmares will be common for the time being, based on his injuries and the extent that they're present. We're going to put his leg in a cast after the first round of meds so he isn't too uncomfortable when we move it around, but he's awake and knows what's happening.”  
Derek nodded along, taking in all of the information and intending to remember it all.  
“I don't know of this is a side effect of his condition, but he is also mumbling about his fingers and counting them, I thought you should know.”  
“Oh, no, it's a thing we have. We both suffer from nightmares and a way we can make sure we've woken up is to count our fingers or read something around us. Our minds can't properly form anatomical structures like fingers or correctly word writing when we're asleep, so it's a bit of a coping mechanism,” Derek supplied, a bit surprised at how much he was sharing. Must be the shock finally setting in. “Maybe you can offer that to some of your patients.”  
“I'll look into that and check with our psychologist. Thank you for that. A nurse will be by later with food for the both of you. He's going to be on low sugar and citrus fruits and bread and rice for a while to build back that time he lost. Make sure he sticks to it.”  
“Trust me, I will,” Derek nodded, shaking the doctor’s hand before stepping back into the hospital room. Stiles seemed to be fighting consciousness and visibly relaxed when he saw Derek again.  
“Count my fingers for me,” He croaked, struggling to lift his arm towards the wolf.  
“Alright, alright. You'll take your meds afterwards?” Derek bartered, moving the chair to right beside Stiles’ bed, taking his wrist and pressing his index finger to each of Stiles’ fingers as he counted them out. All five. Nothing more, nothing less.  
The teen tangled their fingers and gave Derek a scared look, his heart rate picking up.  
“I'll be here when you wake up. Gerard won't be able to touch you,” Derek promised, brushing his thumb over Stiles’ knuckles. “Take your meds so you can start healing, Stiles.”  
And he finally did, accepting the small cup from the nurse, downing the three pills with some Gatorade.  
“Count backwards from 20,” She suggested quietly, but Stiles only grunted in response and turned to look at Derek, his lids growing heavy.  
“Thank you.”  
“Anything you need, Stiles. Get some sleep,” Derek whispered, squeezing the teen’s hand before he finally shut his eyes and went lax against the hospital mattress.  
“The call button is on your side of the bed. If you need anything or there seems to be a problem, give us a ring and we'll be by as soon as possible. Just please don't abuse it.”  
“Yes ma'am. Thank you,” Derek smiled tiredly at the woman. She nodded and left the room, shutting the door behind her.  
Derek finally turned to fully take in Stiles’ beaten and battered body.  
His black eye was still dark, still fresh, the dark colors tainting his skin. His lip was split and only slightly scabbed over, the area around his mouth a light purple. And older bruise but a cut reopened. He'd been slapped repeatedly.  
His arms were littered with different levels of cuts, but thankfully they were all surface level and would heal without too noticeable scars.  
He reached forward and brushed his fingers over Stiles’ face, lightly tracing his facial features and scenting him. The Argent scent was tainting the air around them and he didn't like it.

He didn't remember falling asleep, but Derek woke up to his hair being combed through and twisted around fingers and Stiles’ scent surrounding him. He let out a soft, happy grunt and gently nuzzled his face against Stiles’ hip, sighing happily.  
“What a cute little pup,” Stiles croaked, his smirk practically audible in his tone of voice.  
“If you tell anyone, I'll kill you,” Derek threatenend noncomittally, his arm thrown hapharzardly across Stiles’ legs moving to hold his waist, rubbing circles in his lower back with his thumb.  
“I won't. As long as you finally admit you've got feelings for me,” Stiles murmured, gently scratching at Derek’s scalp, grinning as the wolf huffed and leaned into the touch.  
“You're 18, right?”  
“I invited you to the party a month ago.”  
“Mmm, yeah. I showed up with a gift, didn't like all of the people, and gave it to you a day late. You're really attractive and I'd like to date you.”  
“Took you long enough. Count my fingers?” Stiles asked quietly, and Derek smiled warmly as he lifted his head up and held Stiles’ gaze.  
“Do I need to?”  
“This could be a dream. I've had it before.”  
Derek reached for Stiles’ free hand with the arm that had been around his waist, lifting his head and kissing the end of each one as he counted them off. All five. Nothing more, nothing less.  
“Who knew you'd be such a sap.”  
“Who knew you were enough of a dumbass to go after Gerard yourself.”  
“Are you really surprised?”  
“No, but if you pull a death move like that again, I will personally rescue you, kill you, bring you back, and smack some sense into you.”  
“Sounds kinky.”  
“Shut the hell up and get some rest. We both need it,” Derek huffed around a badly hidden smile, settling his head in Stiles’ lap again.  
They sat in silence for a bit, and Derek was nearly asleep again when Stiles broke the easy silence.  
“Derek?”  
“Yeah?”  
“Thank you.”  
“You're welcome, Stiles. Get some sleep. I'm tearing you a new one the second you can walk.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't hesitate to let me know how you felt about this piece!  
> Make sure to give the lovely [lolbatty](http://lolbatty.tumblr.com) some love for the amazing work they do!
> 
>  
> 
> [I Tumbl](http://SquishySterek.tumblr.com)


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